France U23 vs Spain U23 Match Analysis & Prediction
09/08/2024 7:00 pm
Going for gold at the Paris 2024 Olympics, tournament hosts France U23 meet neighbours Spain U23 in Friday’s football final at Parc des Princes.
Following a fiery quarter-final victory over Argentina, just one game separated France from a spot in the Olympic final, as Thierry Henry’s side attempt to win their country’s first football gold since 1984.
However, it took two Jean-Philippe Mateta strikes to spur a fightback and beat 10-man Egypt in Lyon, after Les Bleus came perilously close to missing out and being forced into a playoff for bronze.
Mateta’s equaliser from a Michael Olise pass was not the first time the erstwhile Crystal Palace teammates had linked up this summer, and the big striker then headed the hosts in front nine minutes into extra time.
Olise later sealed the deal with a goal of his own, guaranteeing France a first football medal in 40 years, but highly-driven boss Henry now wants to secure one of the few prizes missing from his glittering CV.
The former World and European champions saw his side win all of their group matches at these Games, while scoring seven goals and keeping three clean sheets, and they have conceded just a single goal so far.
Aiming to replicate the senior squad’s heroics in Germany last month, Spain’s Olympic team have reached the final in impressive fashion, with their only defeat coming when a much-changed XI started the final group game.
La Roja cruised past Japan in the quarter-finals, setting up a last-four tie with Morocco on Monday, when they found themselves trailing with less than half an hour remaining in Marseille, where the Moroccans had the lion’s share of support.
Proving they could find the mettle to fight back from behind, Santi Denia’s side then staged a spirited revival, as Barcelona star Fermin Lopez equalised matters on 66 minutes before setting up substitute Juanlu Sanchez to strike a late winner.
Olympic champions on home soil in 1992, Spain then reached the gold-medal match at Sydney 2000, and they are now trying to go one better than three years ago in Japan, when they painfully lost to Brazil and settled for silver again.
Lopez and Alex Baena were both involved in Spain’s victory at Euro 2024, so they will be riding the crest of a wave heading into another major final – and this time all the pressure will be borne by their expectant hosts.
France U23 vs. Spain U23 Head to head
These two teams played out a 1-1 draw in their only previous encounter.
-
22/07/1996France U231Spain U231Olympics
-
09/08/2024N/AN/AN/AN/AN/A
-
09/08/2024N/AN/AN/AN/AN/A
-
09/08/2024N/AN/AN/AN/AN/A
-
09/08/2024France U23N/ASpain U23N/AOlympics
France U23 Team News
France captain Alexandre Lacazette and chief creator Olise should once again support Mateta up front, and Henry’s team could be almost unchanged for Friday’s gold-medal decider.
Teenage goalkeeper Guillaume Rested starts behind a back four that features Sevilla’s Loic Bade and Castello Lukeba in central defence, but there may be a switch of personnel in midfield.
France U23's Last 5 Matches
-
24/07/2024France U233United States U230Olympics
-
27/07/2024France U231Guinea U230Olympics
-
30/07/2024New Zealand U230France U233Olympics
-
02/08/2024France U231Argentina U230Olympics
-
05/08/2024France U23E 3Egypt U231Olympics
Spain U23 Team News
Spain’s star man has been Lopez, a member of the triumphant Euro 2024 squad who scored twice in the Olympic quarter-final and then played a key role in the semis.
Arnau Tenas starts in goal, while Abel Ruiz leads the line up front, with support from Lopez and Manchester City’s versatile wide man Sergio Gomez.
Spain U23's Last 5 Matches
-
24/07/2024Uzbekistan U231Spain U232Olympics
-
27/07/2024Dominican Republic U231Spain U233Olympics
-
30/07/2024Spain U231Egypt U232Olympics
-
02/08/2024Japan U230Spain U233Olympics
-
05/08/2024Morocco U231Spain U232Olympics
France U23 vs. Spain U23: Odds and Predictions
Main Prediction
Double Chance: France or X
Best Odds
1000% Super Multi Bonus
Up to 10 times (1000%) larger winnings on bets placed during Happy Hour
CLAIM BONUS
